Fever Pitch
by AnnieXMuller
Summary: She needs him in her life. She's not letting him walk away that easily. COMPLETE.


**AN: Written in February when the Ausiello finale blind item was released, this was my take on a Caskett hookup, fuelled by the possibility that blind item was them. In May it turned out it was, and... it went a little differently ;-)**

**FFNet pulled this fic midway through the year for a ratings violation, and it's been down ever since.**

**I'm uploading it again as one chapter (instead of the original five), and I've cleaned it up for a T rating (so, there's a little sex but nothing too graphic).  
**

* * *

The case was closed; another murder solved and another victim laid to rest. One family was grateful, seemingly eternally in their debt for putting their daughter's killer behind bars, while another family, that of the killer's, were left with too many questions Beckett couldn't answer. Why had this husband, son, friend, committed such a crime? Why?

And so with the relief of closure that came with solving a murder came the anger and hurt that lingered long after the trial.

Beckett sat at her desk, trying to summon internal peace amidst the chaos of the bullpen. An air of belligerence lingered, left behind by the parents who were told that their son had taken a life. She still felt the anger trapped within the precinct walls, could still hear every hostile word spoken, and every frustrated breath exhaled. But the quiet relief, the stillness within her that came from closing a case, pushed through the pain, and the conversations stuck on repeat in her mind began to die down and ultimately ceased. She would not dwell on the events today, just as she didn't dwell on past moments like that.

Paperwork sat before her, demanding her attention. Castle had left her five minutes earlier, to make them both coffees and phone Alexis. To his daughter he was just checking in, but for him the phone call held more. The victim had been a teenage girl named Alexandra.

Focusing on the paperwork, she didn't hear him enter the room, and wasn't aware of his presence until a cup of coffee was placed on the desk beside her.

"Thank you," she told him. She picked up the coffee cup and took a tentative sip. "It's perfect, Castle."

He didn't smile. He dropped down heavily into the chair beside her, and took a sip of his own coffee before saying, "I almost named Alexis 'Alexandra'."

Beckett glanced at him, only now becoming aware of just how close this one touched him. "What changed your mind?"

"Meredith, actually," Castle replied. "She didn't like the whole Alexander/Alexandra thing, and so we compromised on Alexis."

"It's nice," Beckett replied. "It suits her."

Castle nodded. "It does. So," he began, his tone changing. "Need help?"

Beckett looked down at the paperwork on her desk, sighing softly in frustration. "Actually," she began, pushing it away, "this can wait. How about a drink, Castle? The Old Haunt. I'll buy."

Taking a swig of his coffee, he swallowed and glanced into the half-empty cup. "Sounds better than coffee right now."

She smiled. "Let's get out of here."

"That was a tough case," Castle said as he stood and helped her into her coat. "I'd really appreciate a few less like that for a while."

Beckett allowed him to hold her coat as she put her arms in, and didn't stop him from pulling it up to her shoulders, didn't politely step away from his touch, until the coat sat just right. "I wouldn't mind less of those either," she agreed.

He slung his own coat over his left arm, and then held his right elbow out, silently asking her to hook her arm through his and allow him to take the lead. She obliged readily, her fingers curling around the crook of his elbow. It was almost natural for them now, to link arms, or hold hands. Physical contact had almost become the norm. Once she might have hesitated before allowing such contact, but now she barely thought twice, and usually always graced him with a smile as she did so. The contact was only intimate if she let it be, and it would be so easy to do so.

* * *

The Old Haunt was quiet when they arrived. Only the dedicated regulars sat drinking; it was still too early in the evening for most to venture in.

Castle led her to their usual corner, a little darker, a little more secluded, somewhere they could discuss work matters and not be overheard. Tonight, however, she didn't want to think about work. She wanted to drink until the memories of the case subsided, and the buzz took over. She settled in, removing her coat and pulling her hair from the loose braid, letting it cascade over her shoulders in a curly mess. She smoothed it out as best she could, but didn't fuss too much. She was only here with Castle, after all. She wasn't trying to impress him. Right?  
He returned a moment later with two glasses of wine, and handed her one. She accepted it with a frown. "I'm supposed to be buying you a drink, remember."

"You can get the next round," he told her, as he settled in next to her, rather than opposite.

She nodded. "I don't want to discuss this case, so any other subjects will be much appreciated."

He hesitated, taking a sip of his wine while he collected his thoughts. He did have something to discuss with her, actually. Something he'd been holding back. Something he hadn't even announced on his website. Something that had been discussed between just him and his publisher. Maybe now wasn't the best time, but maybe there was no good time for such discussions. They'd had similar conversations in the past and while she'd seemed hurt back then, they were closer now, more comfortable and familiar with one another. How could he break this to her?

"Castle?" She asked. When his head turned sharply and his eyes met hers, she frowned, concerned by what she saw in them. "Are you okay?"

He laughed, a mirthless, forced sound. The secret he had been withholding all day had to come out at some time, but right now just seemed too soon. He had to say it, however, knowing the longer he kept it quiet the harder it would be to tell her. "_Frozen Heat_ will be released soon," he began.

"I know," she replied, nodding. She didn't speak further, sensing his trepidation on the subject.

"And it will be the last Nikki Heat novel," he finished quickly.

Kate's mouth opened, and it was a moment before a word could escape. "Oh," she finally replied. "Your decision?" She would be hurt if he said yes.

"No," he told her gently. "Not my decision."

"Okay then," she replied slowly. "Are they not performing well?" Wasn't her life interesting enough?

"Four was the contract. Now four are done," he replied.

Kate placed her glass on the table and swirled the dark liquid, not meeting his eyes, not wanting him to see the disappointment in hers.

"You're upset," he surmised.

Once it would have been an easy reply. She would have denied it, and wished him well, hiding her hurt. Now, well it was so different now. So much had happened between them. Close call after close call had brought them ever closer together. And she knew he loved her. And she knew she loved him.

"I'm upset," he told her. "If that's any consolation. I..." He fumbled. "I'll miss Ryan, and Esposito, and Lanie." In a less confident tone he added, "I'll miss you, Kate."

She sighed sadly. "This wasn't the conversation I wanted to have after such a tough case," she told him. "How long have you known?"

"The phone call I received this morning?" She nodded, recalling how troubled he'd been afterwards and how he'd refused to tell her why. "That was when it was official."

Kate lost herself in the red wine in front of her.

"I won't be shadowing you anymore."

He had to say it, didn't he, just had to speak those words aloud. She would have been happier to not hear him say that sentence, and then she might have been able to carry on. But it was out there now, and she had to react noticeably for his benefit, rather than fighting the silent internal battle. "Where does that leave us?" She looked at him then, finally meeting his eyes again, holding his gaze fiercely, demanding an honest answer.

Castle held her gaze, never flinching under the intensity in her eyes. "That's up to you," he replied, dodging the answer and leaving it to her.

"What does that even mean?" She asked. There was anger in her voice, and a fire in her eyes. She wasn't angry at him. Who she was angry at she didn't know. Maybe the universe for bringing them together, but never quite allowing them to get _together_, before tearing them apart.

"How's that wall of yours?"

Yeah. She could hardly blame the universe for the fact they'd never managed to take their partnership to the next level. Some days she wished she'd never had that conversation with him. "Castle I... Is this really it? No more Nikki Heat? No more morning coffees, and bear claws? No more us, working as a team, solving murders?"

"No," he replied. "There can still be morning coffees and bear claws, and us as a team."

She knew exactly what he was saying, but she kept her expression neutral, holding the emotion back.

"Drop the pretense," he said gently. "Kate, I'm sorry the timing sucks, but when has our timing ever been anything other than craptastic?"

She smirked at his choice of phrase despite herself. They really did have crap timing. Her decision to join him in The Hamptons had come too late, his 'I love you' had been while she was dying. Just two examples of how really shit they were at this.

"I care about you; you know this. And unless I've been reading you wrong these past few months, I'm pretty sure you return those feelings." He paused, held her gaze, staring at her for what felt like an eternity to both of them, before adding, "Our professional relationship may be about to end, but that doesn't mean it's the end _for us_."

She blinked, but held his gaze. It would have been easy to look away, break the moment, but then they'd just continue going round and round in circles forever, never moving forward.

"Feel free to speak again at any time," he told her.

"I don't know what to say," she admitted.

"I can walk away, or I can continue to be in your life. But you need to tell me which you prefer, because I just don't know, Kate. I don't know what you're thinking. I don't know where I stand with you."

She downed her glass, and the wine burned her throat as she swallowed. She couldn't form the sentences she needed to right now. How could she tell him she loved him, needed him, that he was like air to her now, and without him she might cease to exist. How could she tell him her heart was breaking because she didn't have the goddamn courage to tell him what he really meant to her, and that she might lose him because of that. Losing him wasn't an option. "Come home with me, Castle." She breathed out his name. "Let me show you."

He didn't say a word, merely placed his glass down, picked up their coats, and reached for her hand, his actions speaking his answer.

* * *

Kate closed the front door to her apartment, and turned to him, suddenly unsure. The courage she had summoned in the darkness of The Old Haunt, the courage she had still felt as she had driven them back to her place, dissipated in the brightness of her home.

Castle sensed her unease, and reached a hand out to her. "Come here, Kate," he said gently.

She stepped forward with small tentative steps, until the distance had been bridged and she had placed her hand in his. He tugged her forward, closing the remaining distance, and pulled her into his embrace. She closed her fists around his shirt, holding him close, and dropped her head to his shoulder. His arms were so careful around her, holding her close to him with a gentle touch, and there she was clawing at him. But he'd told her he was leaving her, and she refused to have any of that.

"You're more than just my muse, you know?"

She nodded against his shoulder. Hadn't she brought him here to show him what he meant to her, and all she was doing was letting him reinforce what she already knew: that he loved her.

"I know there have been times you would rather not have had me around, but I have never been anything other than thankful for the fact our lives intersected and entwined."

He pulled back, releasing her, forcing her to release him. He was studying her with kind eyes, but there was an underlying hint of impatience. Frustration. He was pulling her secret out from the depths of her soul and right up to the surface, and she couldn't hold it back any longer. "I lied to you," she began, dropping her hands to her side and taking a small step back. "I've lied to you so many times, and you deserve the truth."

"Tell me the truth now then," he prompted her.

"I..." Kate dipped her head, avoiding his eyes. "I told you I couldn't remember anything from the shooting but the truth?" She paused, lifted her gaze, she owed it to him to at least look at him now. "I remember everything. I always have." The last three words came out as little more than a whisper.

"I know." His reply surprised her. Why wasn't he yelling at her? Walking away? "I follow you around and observe you for a living, remember? I know your tell, Kate. And it's okay."

Hope surged through her body. "It is?" It shouldn't be.

"It is," he affirmed. "I was angry when you wouldn't speak to me for three months," he told her, referring to the period of time between when she had first awoken after the surgery, to when she came to his book signing. "But that's in the past. I saw the signs; I realized you'd heard me, but I left it in your hands."

"That probably wasn't the best choice," she replied dryly. "I've lied to you for so long. Do you... Still..."

"Yes. Do you?"

She swallowed the lump that had taken up residence in her dry throat. "Always."

That had been all he had needed. Reaching for her, he crushed her body to his, their lips crashing together. It had been over a year since their lips had last connected; too damn long. His arms held her body close, her own wrapping around him. She kissed him hard, desperately, the desire she held for him having reached a fever pitch many months prior. Letting it all out now was almost painful, the intensity of emotion surging through her almost too much. He returned the kiss with fervor, his lips only leaving hers to trail across her jaw and down her throat before returning to her lips again. She nipped at his lips, focusing on his top lip before tasting this bottom lip, then giving each equal attention again. She needed his taste, the sensual feel of his lips on hers, to be with her always. She memorized the feel of him so that should this be their only night together she would never forget it.

_Now or never, Kate_, she told herself silently as she broke the kiss. Smiling at his slightly stunned expression, she settled on now - and led him to her bedroom.

* * *

Of all the crazy, messed up ways she had imaged him ending up in her bed, the end of their partnership had never been one of them. That was the one scenario she had refused to think about.

His hand was clasped firmly in hers, his thumb ever so lightly caressing her hand, as she led him forward. With each step, she felt her confidence dwindling as the enormity of the moment began to wash over her. No more Nikki Heat; no more Castle in the precinct; no more platonic relationship.

"I can hear you thinking," he told her, a step behind but catching up.

Kate smiled, but didn't stop, didn't falter. "There's a lot to process tonight," she told him.

They entered her bedroom, Castle stalling for a moment at the open door, looking in. When she gave him a quizzical look he replied, "First time I've been in your bedroom."

She sat on her bed, and beckoned for him to come to her. He was grinning at her, about to step in, when his phone rang, breaking the moment, and his shoulders slumped at the sound. He gave her an apologetic look, pulled his iPhone out of his pocket, and looked at the screen. After a long sigh, he said, "It's my publisher."

Kate nodded. "Take the call."

"You better not move," he told her, pointing a finger at her to stay put, before answering the call.

He stayed standing under the threshold, barely a full step into her room, as he spoke on the phone. She began removing her boots, listening to his end of the conversation while trying to appear uninterested. His words were cryptic, and meant nothing to her, but she took them in anyway, straining her ears for just a hint of positive news.

He ended the call, and cocked his head. "I have a meeting with them in the morning."

Kate chewed on her lower lip. "About?"

He smiled enigmatically. "Spoilers."

She frowned at him, but there was a playful edge to her expression, her body language showing him she understood. "Come here, Castle." She gestured for him to enter. "The longer you linger at the door, the less confident I become."

He smiled, and walked over to her, dropping his coat over a chair as he did so.

She couldn't help the next question, her curiosity was well and truly piqued. "Do you have Nikki's ending written?"

He undid the top button of his shirt, loosening the collar. "I don't. Not yet."

"But you have an idea?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She took his hand and pulled him down next to her, until they both sat side-by-side on her bed. "Promise me you'll give her a happy ending," she told him. "She deserves one."

"That I can promise," he assured her.

"Not like Derrick Storm's."

He pursed his lips then, battling with himself whether to let her in on the conversation he'd just had. "I trust you," he began, "to keep everything I'm about to tell you completely secret."

Her eyes grew wide, expectant. "I promise."

"I'm serious, if this gets out..."

"I won't tell a soul," she promised, crossing an X over her chest with her index finger.

"That phone call?" She nodded. "Derrick Storm is coming out of retirement for a three e-book deal!" He exclaimed proudly, happy to be able to share that with her. His excitement dissolved quickly as she frowned at his words.

"But he's dead, remember. You wrote that."

"He may have faked his own death."

"Castle!" Kate exclaimed. "Did you know that when you wrote it?"

He shook his head. "No. At that time I thought I was done with Storm forever, but it seems there's still more of a story to be told."

Kate signed then. "But Storm is CIA," she said sadly. "Still no excuse to have you at the precinct."

Castle shrugged. "You never know, he may need police help..."

"Are you telling me there's a chance...?"

Castle nodded. "And that's what the meeting with the publisher is about tomorrow," he told her. "To discuss where I plan to take Derrick Storm versus where they want to take him, and we'll see if we can compromise."

Kate swatted his arm. "First you tell me no more Nikki, now you tell me Storm's being resurrected." She was keeping her tone light, but the underlying hurt brought on by the possible end of their partnership lingered.

"Do you still want to do this," he asked, turning so that their knees bumped together, gesturing with a hand between them and the bed. "Now that you know I might still be hanging around."

She smiled at him. "I just want you, Castle."

He brought his hands up, his fingers tangling in her curls, tugging her face gently to his. Their lips touched lightly at first, just a soft caress of skin against skin. Hesitant, and unsure. To kiss, and to have their feelings for one another so laid out in the open like that, was terrifying to both of them. But she wanted this - wanted him - so badly the ache within her was almost painful. Taking control, Kate pressed her lips more firmly to his, as her arms snaked around his neck, drawing him ever closer to her. She could speak all the words in the English language to prove how she felt for him, or she could just kiss him senseless until her actions told him everything he needed to know. Her eyes had slipped closed as their lips had initially met, but with her eyes closed she could be kissing anyone. She opened her eyes, she needed to see him, to prove it was real.

He felt her eyelashes flutter against his skin, and opened his own eyes.

Kate couldn't see his smile, but she could feel it, could feel the slight curve of his mouth as his lips lifted against hers. And, dammit, she was smiling too. She couldn't help it. The smile became a grin, and she had to pull away, her happiness getting in the way of possibly the best kiss she had ever experienced.

They faced one another, grinning like fools. His hands were still in her hair, and his fingers worked through the curls, amazed by how soft her hair was.

"I didn't accept your Old Haunt invitation expecting this."

"I didn't invite you out planning this."

"No regrets so far, I hope."

"Not a single one," she replied, before claiming his lips once more with her own. What began as a fuzzy feeling deep within her built incrementally into an almost electric buzz, firing off from every nerve ending. She had kissed him before, but not like this, not with so much pure emotion radiating around them. She had pushed him away for so long while she took baby steps towards a place where she was ready to jump head-first into a relationship, she was in awe of his self-control. What could have easily become fevered, frenzied kisses, were a slow, languid exploration of one another's lips, tongue, teeth.

He didn't rush her, setting his own need aside to allow her to set the pace. For this she was thankful, needing to be in control.

She broke away, and scooted up the bed, gesturing for him to follow her. Still fully clothed, she didn't know how far they would be taking this tonight, she didn't know if she would listen to her body or her head, didn't know how far he would be willing to take it. They had spoken so much in the past of this moment, without ever realizing it. The subtext of past conversations were hitting her now. He wasn't the man she met three years ago at a book launch - or even years before that at a book signing - and she wasn't the same woman. As he joined her on the bed, kneeling before one another, eyes locked, she realized as she took his hands in hers that sex tonight might be a mistake. His eyes were shining with love. Previously lust would have clouded them, but not anymore. Now, they shared a bond stronger than any she'd had with any man. To sleep with him, when it was fueled by all the emotions kicked up from the tornado-like day, might only lead to awkwardness later. She needed to sleep on it. With him. Together. Side-by-side.

"Castle," she breathed his name out, barely more than a sigh.

He saw the apprehension in her eyes, saw her body become more rigid, and knew she was backing away. He had expected as much. That they had even come this close was a big step forward, but that didn't do anything to help the disappointment and frustration he was beginning to feel. "Kate." He squeezed her hands as he said her name, holding them just firmly enough that she couldn't easily pull them from his. "What are you thinking about?" He spoke softly, calmly, trying to ease the thoughts out from within her mind. "Talk to me."

"I'm thinking that I love you," she began, holding his gaze as she spoke. "That I want this." She paused, hating herself for what she was about to say. "That I think we should slow it down one step and just sleep tonight."

"Together?" He asked, hating the thought of being kicked out of her bed.

"Please stay," she whispered.

He nodded, licked his lips.

"I know I seem like a tease right now."

Castle chuckled at her words. "You've been nothing but a tease the past three years."

"You've given it right back," she reminded him.

"Well, I never knew when you might give in to my charms."

"I gave in a long time ago, I just never let you see that."

Castle smiled. "I saw more than you might think."

Kate sighed. "I'm sorry I keep making you wait."

"No," Castle replied. "Don't be sorry. I don't want to screw this up, Kate. You mean too much to me. The thought of losing you-"

She silenced him further by pressing her lips to his once more, kissing him deeply. When they broke apart, she said breathlessly, "And that's why I think we should wait, just a little longer, before taking this step."

"But you're not kicking me out."

Kate shook her head. "Please don't leave."

Castle kissed her. They pulled apart, flushed. "You make it too hard to leave."

Kate tilted her head towards the door. "I'm going to get changed in the bathroom."

Castle chuckled lightly, his fingers already undoing a button on her shirt. "Why?"

He had undone two more buttons before she could think of an answer. Once his lips touched her neck, just above her clavicle, she couldn't even form a sentence. His breath was hot against her skin, his lips soft, and as he trailed first up to her jaw, and then down to her chest, his tongue skimming her clavicle on the way down, she couldn't remember why.

He continued to undo buttons as fabric got in the way of his journey down her body. He paused between her breasts, laid a gently kiss on the scar he was seeing for the first time, as his fingers made short work of the last of the buttons. He kissed a trail back up to her throat, up to her jaw, colliding once more with her lips. He pushed the shirt off her shoulders, helped her ease it down her arms, all the while his lips never leaving hers. His skilled hands deftly undid the clasp of her bra, and he felt her body stiffen slightly as he did so. He pulled his lips from hers, kissed his way up her cheek, her neck, and ear, before whispering in it, "No sex, Kate. I just want to see you."

She nodded against him, allowing the bra to be unclasped, and peeled from her flushed skin.  
She wasn't a virgin; men had seen her naked before. Castle had seen her naked before. So why did she suddenly feel self-conscious. She was completely exposed now, from her waist up, and yet he was still fully dressed. This did not seem fair. While he was distracted, his eyes roaming her body, his fingertips lightly grazing her skin, she began working on his own shirt, undoing the buttons from the top down.

Castle had to break the contact to remove his shirt, and it seemed to pain him to do so. The moment he was free of the item of clothing his hands returned to their exploration of her waist, the top of her hips, her stomach.

Kate threw her arms around his neck then, and pulled him in to a fierce hug. Her nose rested against his shoulder, and she inhaled his scent, breathed him in and took comfort in it.

"I'm still processing the fact there will be no more Nikki Heat," she murmured against his skin.

His arms tightened around her, and he turned his head slightly to kiss her cheek. He could have said a hundred things, could have apologized, could have agreed, could have incurred the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing upon his publishers. Instead, he replied, "I'm still processing the fact you're half naked and pressed against me."

Kate laughed, her joyful bubbly laugh that she allowed out too rarely. Her body shook against his as the laughter subsided. She pulled back, her eyes shining, her face lit up by a contented smile. She stood then, still smiling at him, and removed her black pants, stepped out of them, and left them where they lay. She left her panties on; with that barrier she might be less likely to jump him the moment she got back on that bed. With an almost feline grace, Kate lifted the blankets on the side not weighed down by Castle, and slipped under the sheets. She lay on her side, covered by a thin sheet, looking up at him expectantly. She bit her lower lip and grinned at his expression, still somewhat slack-jawed from watching her undress in front of him. God, _she was a tease_.

Castle blinked, and then nodded. He removed his own pants, leaving him clad in just a pair of briefs. He glanced down at himself, feeling a little self-conscious. They were a snug fit, leaving little to the imagination. He turned quickly, so that he could both lift the sheet and slip under in one movement, covering himself. He felt so stupid, being worried about what she thought of his body when she had been bare before him not seconds earlier. But this was Kate - this was Beckett - and he cared what she thought. He wished he'd hit the gym more recently, wished he hadn't eaten that donut this morning.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked quietly, seeing the haze in his eyes, sensing he was off somewhere else.

Castle laughed, shook his head, and turned to face her. "Nothing. Just had a girly moment."

"Oh?" She asked, curious.

"Silly insecurities."

Kate smiled. "Ah, yes, I know those well." She placed a hand on his cheek, cupping his stubble and roughened skin. She drew his lips to hers, kissing his insecurities away. Her leg found its way to his, and she hooked it over his hip, drawing his pelvis to hers. Her hips rocked involuntarily as she did so, reminding her it would be so easy to have her way with him right now.

"Kate," he rasped, his hand on her hip, stilling her. "It's difficult to stay in control when you do things like that."

"Sorry." She smiled as she said it, but her inner cheek was clamped firmly between her teeth, as she regained control of her hips. God she wanted him.

Castle rolled onto his back, taking her with him. She ended up sprawled half on the bed, half on top of him, her bare flesh pressed against his.  
He couldn't help thinking he was the luckiest man in the world at that moment.

She gazed down at him, her eyes half obscured by hooded lids, her hair falling down around her face, brushing against his skin, tickling him.

"You're beautiful." His voice was breathy, his tone laced with awe.

It wasn't the first time he had commented on her appearance, but it meant so much more this time than it ever had in the past. She blushed, feeling the color spread through her cheeks. The words 'not so bad yourself, castle' were on the tip of her tongue, but in this moment those words seemed flippant. Telling him he was handsome sounded strange in her head. Words were failing her, so she did what she had been trying to do all night, and showed him. Her fingers found their way into his hair as her lips found his. The kiss started as a gentle caress, their lips moving together slowly as they explored, tasted and nipped, but it soon dissolved into something much more desperate and needy - frantic and hard. His hands had found her face as the kiss was initiated, cradling her cheeks, fingertips lightly brushing her warm skin. But as the kiss had intensified, his hands had slipped up into her hair, brushing it back and out of the way, his fingers entangled in the soft curly tendrils that were no longer tickling his skin.

When they broke apart, flushed, she knew her resolve might crumble at any time, but for now she was sticking to her guns. With a smile, she dropped a brief kiss to the corner of his mouth, one to his cheek, and a final kiss to his neck, before settling her head down on his chest, her arm draped over his waist.

He smoothed her hair back, and dropped a light kiss to the top of her head. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close.

"I need you in my life," she whispered against his chest. It still amazed her sometimes - when she allowed herself to really think about it - how close she had become with this man. It scared her, more than a little, to think she was allowing herself to dive into _something _with him. Whatever this something was, she prayed that it was real.

Her breath was warm against his skin, her words vibrating through him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But you are," she replied softly. "The precinct will be a lot less fun without you there. I'll miss that."

"Let's see what tomorrow, and the meeting with my publisher, brings," he reminded her, hating the thought of not being able to spend his days with her at work, hating the thought of her chasing down the bad guys without him there. What if...

What if scenarios were also running through her own mind, but the gentle thumping of his heart beneath her head lulled her to sleep, forcing her mind to switch off and be free of such thoughts - at least until the morning.

* * *

A stream of sunlight woke Kate; the bright, warm light dissolved the cobwebs of sleep and brought her back to semi-consciousness. Snuggling back against the solid, warm body behind her, her brain slowly realized she wasn't alone. An arm around her kept her anchored down, but she managed to twist just enough to study the face of the man behind her.

Castle.

So it hadn't been a dream after all.

She shifted enough to turn fully onto her other side, so she was facing him, and she watched him sleep.  
It wasn't the first time she'd done so. She had watched him once before, on a plane, with a letter in her hand telling her to stop being her usual stubborn self and to take a chance. Wise words she had only half listened to. She studied his peaceful expression, watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath, and wondered how long the calm would last. Today. Today he would speak with his publishers and pitch them ideas that might just allow him to continue to shadow her.

She leaned down and kissed him - kissed him for Derrick Storm, for Nikki Heat, for all the morning coffees, all the smiles he had elicited from her, all the times he had saved her life, and for loving her. It was little more than a light brush of her lips against his forehead, but it held so much more meaning.

His eyes blinked open, his head turned, and he focused on her. A smile lit up his face. "You're still here," he said, his voice gravelly from sleep.

She smiled in return. "It's my bedroom, Castle."

He looked around. "Yeah, thought it seemed a little too feminine." His eyes found hers again. "Did you just kiss me?"

Kate bit her lower lip and her eyes twinkled with delight. "You felt that?" When he nodded, she added, "Good morning."

He chuckled low in his throat. "Good morning," he replied. He frowned slightly then, watching as she fidgeted with the sheet, arranging it around herself. "Little bit awkward, huh?"

"Little bit," she replied, realizing she'd been caught trying to cover herself up.

He reached a hand to the back of her head, running his fingers through her mussed hair, before guiding her lips to his. He kissed her confidently, each movement of his lips against hers making her forget about silly little things like morning breath, or covering herself with the sheet.

Kate melted into the kiss, returned it with fervor. Her tongue demanded entrance into his mouth. A warmth within her became a fire, hot and intense. She needed him. Now.

She - hell, both of them - had waited long enough.

Throwing her leg over his hips, as she had the previous night, she didn't care what it led to now. She kissed him hard, with a need that had been building for far too long.

He pulled back, studied her face, the small smile playing on her lips, the hooded lids unable to hide the desire in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

He was so sweet that she couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. He was right to question her though. One minute she was dragging him to her home, the next she was asking that they just sleep side-by-side, now she was practically jumping him. She'd been waging this battle with herself for the past year, always wanting to take the next step but never able to. Now that he was getting a glimpse of what she'd been putting herself through she would have been concerned if he hadn't questioned her. "I'm sure," she promised him, her voice unwavering. Her lips collided with his again, her fingernails digging into his warm flesh, pulling him ever closer.

Skin against skin. God, it had been too long since she'd felt that sensation. His body was warm and firm against hers, and as his fingertips drew patterns against her back she wondered how she would ever sleep alone again.

His lips trailed hot kisses upon her flushed skin. There was no plan, nothing was mapped out, he was simply kissing her everywhere he could reach. Tasting all of her. Her head tilted to the side to give him better access to her neck, and he tested every inch of skin with his lips and tongue, memorizing the spots that made her whimper or moan softly. He would return to those places often.

Coherent thoughts evaporated as his hands roamed down her back, the tickling sensation of his fingertips grazing her skin almost taking her over the edge.

Skilled hands pushed what little fabric was between them, down her legs, and off to the side. His quickly followed. And when there was nothing between them, he guided her so that she was beneath him, and entered her. She arched her back at the sensation of being filled by him and raised her hips off the bed to allow for a better angle. Slowly, gently, he pushed into her, until he was sheathed completely by her. Her inner walls stretched to accommodate all of him, and god it felt amazing. She was biting into her lip to keep from moaning too loudly from the feel of him within her. Her last truly coherent thought was that she was having sex with Rick Castle, and then pleasure took over, and she stopped thinking.

Finding a rhythm had never been an issue for them, and unsurprisingly they worked as a team even in the bedroom. Partners in every sense of the word. With skilled hands, well-timed thrusts, he brought her to the edge, and with fingernails digging into his skin, hips that knew just how to move, and expertly controlled muscles contracting around him, she brought him to the precipice at the same time. The sweet, yet frustrating, tension building reached a fever pitch, and together they tumbled over the edge, clinging to one another as they came.

He rolled off her, so he could flop down, boneless, beside her and not crush her.  
"Damn, Kate," he murmured, his face pressed into the pillow, his voice muffled somewhat. "Better than anything I've ever dreamed."

She lay on her back, sated, smiling up at the ceiling. A small chuckle left her lips.

He pushed himself off the pillow, turned toward her. She felt him move, and rolled onto her side to face him. He reached out and brushed strands of her hair away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. "I don't want to move, but I have to." It pained him to say it. He wanted nothing more than to stay in bed doing _that_ - and a whole lot more - with her all day.

"You have a meeting," she agreed. "An important one."

"I'll expect you back in this bed when it's done."

Kate laughed at him. "I have a job, Castle. I can't play hookey because the sex is incredible."

"Incredible, huh?"

She bit her lower lip, smiled. "Pretty damn incredible actually."

He leaned closer to her, and she released her lip from between her teeth just before his connected with hers. Even the kissing was incredible. She could get used to this, used to lots and lots of kissing, and lots and lots of sex. "Come see me at the precinct when you have an answer about Derrick Storm," she told him once they'd torn their lips away from each other. "No matter the answer, I want to know as soon as you know."

He nodded. "I promise."

"And later tonight," she began, with a smile playing on her lips, "we'll pick this right up from where we're being forced to leave it now."

* * *

"Why are you smiling?" Lanie asked.

Kate sat on an unoccupied and sterilized autopsy slab, swinging her legs, smiling broadly despite her unease. "Don't question it," Kate replied. "Just enjoy it while it lasts because I might become a sobbing mess later."

Lanie frowned at her friend's words. The morgue was quiet; her only body of the morning had been stored away, the autopsy completed, and the next body was yet to drop. She had been catching up on paperwork when Beckett had entered unexpectedly, and hauled herself up onto the nearest vacant slab, smiling like Lanie hadn't seen in a long, long time. "What's going on?"

"Castle."

Lanie smiled knowingly. "Of course. Who else." In the past there had many relationship conversations in this room. There was something comforting in knowing the only other people nearby were dead, and unable to comment, judge, or verbally spill secrets. Many names had been spoken here, but none as often, or with as much feeling, as Castle's.

Kate dipped her head shyly. She fidgeted with the edges of the table, running her fingers along the smooth, cold, stainless steel. "We had a few drinks at the Old Haunt last night."

"Mmmhmm. Continue."

"And then I took him back to my place, and he crashed in my bed."

"And?" If that was the end of the story she doubted Beckett would have even bothered telling her. Her friend didn't smile quite like she was now over Castle simply crashing in her bed.

Kate looked up and met Lanie's eyes. "Well what do you think happened next?" She bit her lip after the final word, smiling happily.

Lanie smiled brightly, having waited a long time to hear such words. "No wonder you're glowing."

"I am not!" She knew she was. She could feel it.

Lanie nodded. "Ah, yes. You are. You have that post-orgasmic glow about you."

"He's good, Lanie. He's really good." Kate couldn't hold back the slightly embarrassed chuckle that escaped her lips. At least she wasn't giggling like a school girl over it.

Lanie raised an eyebrow. "So he lives up to the hype?"

Kate merely nodded in response, concentrating on controlling the grin that was threatening to break out on her face.

"I hate to ask but why might you become a crying mess?"

Kate sighed then. Her shoulders slumped and all the happiness whooshed out of her. "He finished the last Nikki Heat novel. There's no reason for him to shadow me anymore."

Lanie folded her arms across her chest, frowning at Beckett. "There's been no need for him to shadow you for a long time," she reminded Kate. "He could have written four books off of your first year alone."

"Well, okay, so now there's no excuse then."

"You think Castle won't make one up?" Lanie pointed out. "You think he'll walk away that easily?"

Kate smiled. They all knew him – knew them – so well. "He's currently meeting with his publishers to figure something out. He wants to stay. I want him to stay." She swallowed, before adding softly, "I love him, Lanie. I don't know if I want to do this without him."

Lanie raised her eyebrows at Beckett's words. "That's a big admission coming from you."

"I know."

"When's he stopping by?"

Kate looked at her father's watch. "Soon. He should be wrapping the meeting up now." She pushed herself off the table. "I'm nervous. God, Lanie, I haven't felt this apprehensive about anything in a long time."

"Anything relating to a man, you mean."

"Yeah."

"Come here," Lanie moved to embrace her friend, but stopped when she saw Kate eying her scrubs warily. "They're clean. I promise." And as she pulled her into a hug she said, "Congratulations on the sex." After a beat, she added, "I wonder who won the pool."

Kate's face paled as she abruptly broke the hug. "No…." She was mortified. "Please, please tell me you are not serious."

"Oh come on. You and Castle? Of course there's money on it."

"Lanie…"

"People have been waiting for the two of you to open your damn eyes for years now."

"We just had sex, Lanie. We're not engaged."

"Considering this is you and Castle, I can bet that it wasn't _just_ sex."

"No, no more betting," Kate said firmly. "I don't know what he and I have just started, and in hindsight we didn't really discuss it as much as we should have."

"You'll figure it out. Hopefully quicker than how you figured out how to get into one another's pants."

"Oh my god," Kate exclaimed. "I'm leaving now, but promise me one thing." When Lanie nodded, she said, "Don't tell Alexis, don't tell Espo, don't tell anyone. Just wait until Castle and I know what's going on first."

Lanie nodded. "Just figure it out quickly. I don't know how long I can hold this one in."

Kate smiled. "Lanie…" She warned, but there was humor in her tone.

"Go wait for your man," Lanie told her, giving her a gentle shove. "I'll expect an update before the end of the day."

"No promises," Kate tossed over her shoulder as she exited the room.

* * *

Beckett was antsy. She had caught herself pacing in the break room, and forced herself to take a seat and drink the coffee in her hand before it either turned cold or she spilled it. Once the caffeine made its way into her system it only made her more wired, less able to concentrate, and a little more jittery than she'd like to admit.

This was silly. Yet she couldn't shake off the nervousness; she couldn't escape the vice clamped around her heart, squeezing.

She was inhaling a deep breath, calming herself in preparation of stepping back into the bullpen, when she heard the sound of the break room door opening behind her, and she turned.

"Castle," she breathed. She put her coffee cup down and stood hesitantly.

He stared at her, his face unreadable as he stepped over to her, and embraced her in a tight, yet comforting, hug.

She turned her head, took a breath, gulping in air withheld from her as she had pressed her face into his shoulder, letting his scent surround her. "What happened?" She asked softly.

She felt his body sag a little, deflated, and she held a breath as he spoke.

"No crossovers," she spoke softly.

"So no reason to stay then," she replied sadly.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." He pulled back out of their embrace, and smiled at the sadness on her face.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked, confused, and a little hurt. She moved to take a step back but he curled his hands around her wrists and gently held her in place.

"Because while you were in here, pacing," he paused to let that sink in, that he had seen her as he had made his way through the bullpen, "I spoke with Gates." One of his hands released a wrist, and moved up to tuck her hair behind her ear, his fingertips trailing down her face, tracing her jaw.

She shivered slightly from his touch, from his words, and from the knowledge anyone could see them should they peer through the glass into the break room.

"She called me an asset."

"Are you sure you didn't hear incorrectly?" She asked lightly, desperate to remove some of the tension building in the small room.

His smile grew at her words, happy to see her relaxing a little. "She told me it would be a shame to lose me."

"She did not," Kate replied, disbelieving Gates would ever admit to such a thing, whether she thought it or not.

"And she assured me there would be a place for me here, if I wanted it. It seems she is hesitant to break up this team."

"Do I still have a partner?" Kate asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"If you're willing to keep me on."

A happy gasp left Beckett's lips, and she moved to embrace him again, wrapping her arms around him tightly and pulling him crushingly close to her.

"There's still hope for Nikki too," he whispered against her hair. "Movie tie-ins, and graphic novels were discussed, but just not anytime soon."

"But for now she's getting a happy ending, right?"

Castle pulled back slightly, did a quick glance around to make sure no one could see them, before cupping her face and claiming her lips in a sweet kiss. When they separated, he grinned devilishly. "And there's a big bed at my loft where I plan to give you a little taste of that happy ending later tonight."

* * *

End.


End file.
